Now All We Know Is Don't Let Go
by Z's Athena
Summary: For SasuSaku Month 2015. /Day 29 [two entries] - (1) I watch superman fly away / Come back, I'll be with you someday / I'll be right here on the ground / When you come back down (Inspired by 'Superman' by Taylor Swift); (2) Sasuke: "You're my superhero."/
1. 01 - Matchmaker

**Day 01**

 **Prompt:** Matchmaker

 **Summary:** Ino decides to play matchmaker for her best friend.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Happy SasuSaku month, everyone! :D It's my first time to partake in such an event—and good timing, too, as my precious OTP is finally canon! *sighs* However, although I want to go all out with my participation, other priorities prevent me from doing so, I'm afraid, which is why I'll only be doing a few prompts. I may or may not do them all eventually, but that will entirely be up to my motivation levels in the future. Haha! Anyway, happy reading, guys! :)

 **EDIT:** I accidentally published the unedited version of this chapter. orz Sorry, guys. There aren't any major changes, though; just grammar stuff for the most part so you don't have to read it again. :)

 **Warning(s):** AU.

* * *

" _Sakura-chan!_ " came a familiar voice from behind said female.

Hearing Ino call out to her in a singsong tone was one thing, but for her best friend to actually call Sakura by her given name instead of the usual 'Forehead' made her wary and maybe a bit terrified, too.

Sakura halted in the middle of the hallway where she was walking on her way to class and waited for the blonde, who was happily skipping and taking her sweet time, to catch up. When she did, Sakura merely raised an eyebrow, aware that Ino was up to something as usual and not feeling particularly up to whatever it was.

"My beloved Sakura-chan," Ino began, to which Sakura cringed in horror, and held both of the latter's hands tightly in hers. "I, your wonderful best friend, have come to save you from eternal loneliness!"

At this point, other students turned to look toward their direction at Ino's strange outburst, but she didn't seem to mind one bit.

Sakura, on the other hand, _didn't_ like the attention they were getting and was trying to free her hands from Ino's strong clutch to no avail.

"What are you on about this time, Pig?" she asked, exasperated.

"Well…" Ino suddenly had a mischievous glint in her eye that only spelled trouble for Sakura. "You know how I have Sai, and Tenten has Neji, and Hinata has Naruto, and Temari has Shikamaru? And that you're the only one that's single in our group of friends?" came the direct blow from Ino.

Sakura snorted in reply, not liking where the conversation was headed one bit.

Not minding the lack of eagerness from her best friend, Ino continued in a sickeningly saccharine tone without missing a beat. "Did you know that in _their_ group of friends—your friends' boyfriends', I mean—there's also this _guy_ that's conveniently single, too?"

"Really? How convenient indeed," Sakura deadpanned.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Ino nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You probably know him: Uchiha Sasuke? Tall, dark, and handsome? Has a legion of fan girls following him everywhere? You've probably seen him sulking around in these _magnificent_ hallways a few times before, right?"

Sakura had the gall to look thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm… nope. Can't say that I have," she says with an innocent look that did not fool Ino one bit.

Ino scoffed at this and let go of Sakura's hands — _"Finally!_ " she sighed— only to point one perfectly manicured finger at her face. "You're lying and because of that, the both of you are going on a double date with me and Sai this weekend," she practically commanded.

Sakura looked at her incredulously. "Yeah right! Knowing you, you're probably just going to ditch us towards the end so that the two of us can be alone."

"I will do no such thing!" she gasped and enunciated every word, mock-offended at the accusation.

Sakura knew better and refused to be fooled by her friend, but the bell was about to ring any minute and she'd rather not be tardy to Kakashi-sensei's class, even though she was all too aware that he was going to be late himself.

With a defeated sigh, Sakura had no choice but to relent. "Fine—but what's in it for me?"

"This will be the last of my matchmaking attempts, I promise!" Ino raised her right hand just as the bell signaled the start of first period.

"I'll hold you to that, then."

"Yay! I'm _so_ excited for this weekend, Forehead!" Ino exclaimed, finally back to the usual nickname she had for Sakura who she engulfed in a massive hug.

"Whatever, Pig."

* * *

To be fair, Sakura _did_ say that Ino was going to ditch them towards the end of the date. In reality, the blonde and her boyfriend didn't bother showing up at all—so technically, Sakura's prediction was still off.

That was beside the point, however, as Sakura sat directly in front of her date at the restaurant Ino and Sai were supposed to meet them at.

Sasuke looked back at her with his usual stoic expression but Sakura could see in his eyes that there was a hint of amusement in them.

"I knew this was going to happen," he stated with the usual air of confidence that surrounded his entire being.

She snorted challengingly and raised an eyebrow for good measure. "And yet, here you are."

"Here I am," he agreed with a nod, the edge of his lips lifting upwards into his trademark smirk.

They eyed each other for a few moments, the silence between them stretching out, before they suddenly broke into laughter—well, _she was_ ; Sasuke merely chuckled—startling the other customers seated near them.

After their laughter died down, Sakura shook her head condescendingly and wiped a tear that formed at the corner of her eye. "How long do you think it'll take them to realize that we've been dating _far_ longer than any of them have?" she asked amusedly, reaching out over the table with one hand.

His much larger hand met hers halfway and grasped it firmly, already aware of the nonverbal gestures Sakura did to tell him what she wanted.

"Well, it's not like we're being obvious about it," he shrugged nonchalantly but the smirk was still in place.

"Do you think we can keep this whole secretly-dating thing until after graduation?"

He snorted. "It would probably be more amusing to keep it up until our wedding day or something."

A pregnant pause ensued, and then she asked him teasingly, "Oh, is that a proposal?"

The tips of his ears turned red at his slip of the tongue and Sasuke had to clear his throat awkwardly to regain his composure, causing her to giggle at his expense.

Hastily calling out to a waiter to place their order, the topic was abruptly dropped—but the little squeeze he gave her hand was enough to convey to her what he meant.

She squeezed back in understanding, a light blush dusting her cheeks, and Sakura gave him a dazzling smile. "It's a good thing Ino promised me no more matchmaking, then."


	2. 02 - No Filter

**Day 02**

 **Prompt:** No filter

 **Summary:** Naruto and Sasuke really needed to learn how to filter their potty mouths.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I know some people don't like it when writers inject Japanese words into English fics, but bear with me just this once? :3

 **Warning(s):** Mild language.

* * *

The sound of smacking lips and delighted giggles accompanied the animated 'choo-choo!'s Sakura was making as she fed Sarada her breakfast one particular Sunday morning. It was peaceful over at the Uchiha household, just as it always was, until—

"Sasuke!" Naruto bellowed as he barreled into the kitchen where mother and daughter sat startled at the sudden disturbance.

"Oy, you promised we'd spar today, _teme_! I don't have all day and— Ah, good morning, Sakura-chan! Sarada-chan!" he stopped himself and greeted the two with an embarrassed chuckle—the latter eagerly reaching out to her self-proclaimed favorite uncle, no longer interested in eating—realizing too late that it was rude of him to barge in like that.

Sakura put the spoon down as she let out an annoyed sigh, a bit peeved that her daughter's attention was now elsewhere, but acknowledged Naruto anyway.

"Good morning to you, too, Hokage-sama. Sasuke-kun will be out in a second. And _please_ , watch your language!" The last part was said in a scolding manner, though Naruto paid it no mind.

"Now, now, Sakura-chan—how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? It sounds so… _weird_ coming from you."

Sakura merely hummed dismissively in reply and stood to pick her daughter up so that she was now bouncing Sarada on her hip. At that moment, Sasuke chose to show up in the kitchen.

" _Dobe_ , what are you shouting for so early in the morning?" he complained with mild irritation lacing his otherwise impassive voice.

Pointing a finger at the newcomer, Naruto arrogantly declared, "That's 'Hokage-sama' to you!"

Sasuke simply scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, _Dobe_ -sama."

"You— _teme!_ "

Somehow, things escalated quickly with that. Naruto, always so easily provoked, moved to punch Sasuke while Sakura attempted to put a stop to the ruckus they were creating with much difficulty.

"Language, you two!" she interjected. "Put a filter on your potty mouths or else Sarada's going to—"

All of a sudden, a sound, soft as it was, that came from the only other occupant in the room caught the attention of the three adults who stopped and turned toward the two-year-old as she uttered what her mother had been hoping to avoid.

"Te… _teme_ ," little Sarada articulated, hesitantly at first.

Dumbstruck, the trio could do nothing more but stare at the toddler as she, obviously pleased with herself for being able to say the word correctly, started gleefully chanting 'teme' over and over again, much to Sakura's horror.

"Naruto! This is all _your_ fault!" she accused, turning toward him.

"Hey, now, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to—"

"Sarada," Sasuke intervened as he took the baby into his arm and looked at her intently. "That's not a very nice word to say."

Sakura calmed down a bit and nodded along, agreeing with her husband's words, until…

"Say _dobe. Do-be_ ," he tried to teach her with all the seriousness he possessed, enunciating each syllable so that his dear daughter would follow.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura practically screeched this time, unconsciously gathering her chakra into her clenched fists.

"To… to-be," Sarada attempted.

In the background, Naruto stood snickering, already aware of where _this_ was going.

As father and daughter continued on in their own little world, Sakura remained glaring at the oblivious Sasuke until she couldn't take it anymore.

In a fit of rage, Sakura raised one trembling fist and laid a chakra-enhanced punch on the wall closest to her, effectively creating a hole that now allowed them to see into the hallway. Luckily, the damage was not enough to send the whole wall crumbling, but it did make a loud-enough sound that managed to catch the attention of the Uchiha patriarch.

Snapping out of her anger, Sakura panicked as she gasped in dismay at the damage. "Fuck! Now look what you made me do!"

However, before Sakura could even realize her mistake…

"Fuck!" came the same high-pitched, cheerful voice from earlier.

Three pairs of eyes widened once more and promptly turned toward the owner of said voice as she repeated her newly-learned word. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" she squealed in delight.

Sakura could only stare at her innocent daughter in mortification, aware of the two pairs of eyes now watching her. Looking up, she caught the gaze of a mismatched pair as a knowing smirk made its way to Sasuke's face.

Sakura sighed guiltily and turned away in embarrassment.

"Don't. Just _please_ —don't."


	3. 03 - Carnival

**Day 03**

 **Prompt:** Carnival

 **Summary:** Sakura is tasked to man the kissing booth at the carnival.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** So this came out of nowhere. 8D I didn't have anything planned for today, to be honest, but what can you do when an idea hits you? This was written in a rush as a result, though, so I didn't have time to proofread much before posting. I'll do it later after I get some sleep. (yawns) Also, this was inspired by a scene from the movie 'She's The Man'. :)

 **Change log:** I edited some things but again, nothing major so there's no need to reread. :)

 **Warning(s):** FLUFF. AU.

* * *

Sakura had been dreading this day since her mother brought it up with her two weeks ago.

Haruno Mebuki was part of an elite society reserved only for Konoha's richest and though Sakura would rather not associate herself with such snooty older women and their bratty daughters, she really had no choice on the matter: her mother had finally agreed to let her continue playing soccer for the school team but _only_ if she did this "little" favor.

Things were easier said than done, though.

The Junior League, as the society her mother belonged to was called—Sakura always wondered about the 'Junior' part when it was basically the adults who were running everything—had set up a carnival as a fundraiser for charity and although Sakura was not opposed to the carnival itself nor its cause, it was what she was asked to do that had her wishing she were somewhere else at that moment.

 _This is for soccer_ , she had to remind herself as she stared at the wretched booth in front of her and, beyond that, the long line of males that stood waiting for it to open.

'KISSING BOOTH', the banner hanging above her read in elaborate, cheesy-looking cursive—though backwards from her angle—and she could only curse her luck as she eyed some men that… just didn't seem like her type at all.

To prove her point: right at the very front of the line, Rock Lee eagerly bounced on the balls of his feet, his purchased ticket clutched tightly in one of his hands as if he was afraid the wind would blow it away, waving at her too enthusiastically with the other. The dude was nice and all, but Sakura really wished it were someone else in his spot.

 _This sucks_ , she thought morosely as she took a seat on the stool situated inside the claustrophobic booth. Luckily enough, she was only expected to be there and be smooched by a bunch of unknown men for 30 minutes before her substitute, some other poor girl, would sit there and be smooched by another bunch of unknown men.

But still, that would be 30 minutes of putting up with all that crap and pretending that she didn't mind having her lips touch someone else's—someone that _wasn't_ a certain raven-haired, onyx-eyed schoolmate of hers that she may or may not have had a crush on since forever and who may or may not like her back, if their casual flirting and their mutual friends' constant teasing were anything to go by.

He could at least be there waiting in line, too, if only to make the whole ordeal worth it, especially since his mother was also a member of the league.

But alas, the crowd was devoid of the handsome face of the Uchiha and she gave a miserable sigh as one of the organizers cheerfully reminded her, "one minute before we open up the booth, dear; and _don't forget to smile_." The last part was said with as much intimidation as she could inject into her saccharine tone and it made Sakura cringe inwardly at how creepy the woman seemed.

She turned toward the front to face the queue with a forced smile, fists bunching up the material of her dress on her lap in nervousness. She was shaking, that much she was aware of, but the organizer merely placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezed it, albeit too tightly to properly comfort the girl in any way.

When the time to start operations finally came, the organizer happily called out to the first customer—an excited Lee who was adorning the biggest grin she'd ever seen from him—and Sakura drew in a breath at the impending awkwardness. She shut her eyes real tight and willed for the next 30 minutes to pass by quicker than ever as she sat stock-still.

However, as she waited for the unpleasant feeling of an unwanted kiss, she came to the realization that nothing was really happening.

Opening one eye to peek at her surroundings, Sakura noticed with much surprise that instead of Lee, it was another person's face hovering in front her, a familiar and confident smirk in place. Behind him, she could easily spot Lee's and everyone else's disgruntled glares directed at Sasuke—but he really didn't seem to mind one bit.

From beside her, the organizer tried to placate the mob that started complaining about him cutting in line and turned toward the Uchiha, scandalized and on the verge of panicking.

"Uchiha-san, just _what_ do you think you're doing?" the older woman scolded.

"I have come to kiss Miss Haruno," he stated all-too-casually. Sakura blushed and nearly choked on her spit at his bluntness, but the organizer was not amused at all.

"Thank you for taking interest in our kissing booth, Uchiha-san, but I'm afraid that you have to buy a ticket first before you get to do that," she informed him with fake politeness accompanied by a fake smile.

"I already did that."

"Then you're going to have to wait in line."

At this, Sasuke shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Ah, I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I've paid for enough tickets for the entirety of Miss Haruno's shift and so I have to claim my purchase right now; otherwise, I won't be able to get my money's worth."

Sakura merely sat there dumbfounded as she allowed his words to sink in. Sasuke then turned to her and reached out to take one of her hands before gesturing for her to follow him.

She dazedly nodded in agreement and let go of his hand in order to exit the booth, the organizer stunned into silence as Sakura walked past without even so much as a glance, before joining Sasuke at his side as they stalked off.

"Hey! Hold on just a minute, buddy! We paid for the kissing booth, too, y'know!" protested one of the guys in line.

Sasuke, ever the arrogant one, turned to the man and responded, "So wait for the next shift." Then, to drive the point home, he took one of Sakura's hands in his once more and confidently declared, "This one's mine," walking away as they left the men to their grumbling.

It was silent between them for a few minutes as Sakura tried to digest the implications of his words; but first, she had to thank him. "You really saved me back there, Sasuke-kun. Thank you."

The tips of his ears burned red but he nodded in acknowledgment anyway.

"I meant what I said back there," he told her, abruptly stopping in his tracks.

Not quite sure of what he was referring to, she cocked her head to the side in confusion and waited for him to clarify.

"About you being mine," Sasuke explained, looking serious but very much sincere despite the flush spreading to his cheeks, and she couldn't help blushing, too.

However, she swiftly regained her composure and proceeded to give him a smirk that could probably rival his own. "Okay, but how about those 30 minutes' worth of kisses? Do you still intend on claiming them?"

"Are you suggesting we make out for 30 minutes?" he teased right back, amused and no longer shy himself.

"Hey now. Who said anything about making out? That was only an innocent kissing booth!" she countered with a carefree laugh.

He smiled fondly at her despite her remark and quipped, "Well, we'll get to that eventually, I suppose. By then I assume it'd be free of charge."

She hummed thoughtfully before sending a grin his way. "I guess we'll have to see about that. But for now—," she said as she stepped closer to him and tip-toed to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Here's the first of the kisses you purchased," Sakura whispered, their noses touching and lips mere centimeters apart, before closing the gap between them and giving him just what he paid for and more.


	4. 05 - Test

**Day 05**

 **Prompt:** Test

 **Theme:** Childhood

* * *

 **Summary:** "Betcha you can't score higher than me in the next test." "You're on." –It all began with a challenge on who could score higher in their next test.

 **Author's Notes:** Lol, I didn't know that this week's theme was supposed to be canon-verse, so I just focused on the childhood part. xD But hey, we're allowed free rein, right? And I still got half of the theme right so… Haha. Also, some of the stories will be connected to each other, so please watch out for those! :D

 **Warning(s):** AU.

* * *

Sasuke admired his brother, Itachi, a lot. He admired him so much, in fact, that the younger Uchiha wanted to be just like him in every aspect.

It didn't help that his father expected as much from him, but that went without saying—Itachi-nii was, after all, _awesome_.

(At least that's what Sasuke bragged to all the other kids at school, who would then just stare at him in awe for being related to someone so perfect.

He would have still wanted to become just like his _nii-san_ regardless of the pressure his father placed on his tiny shoulders, but that didn't mean it didn't make his heart swell with happiness when his father would nod approvingly whenever he relayed good news of his achievements.)

Thus, Sasuke strived to get good grades in all of his classes—so that both _otou-san_ and _nii-san_ would be proud of him—and ever since he started going to school (which hadn't really been that long; but still…), he had accomplished just that.

That is, until _she_ came along.

Haruno Sakura transferred into their class a few weeks after school started, and at first, Sasuke didn't mind her so much. Girls had cooties and there was no way he was going to get himself sick; otherwise, his grades would drop and he'd become an idiot like that blonde kid, Naruto.

But when the new kid started getting praises from Iruka- _sensei_ the same way he always had, Sasuke reluctantly began to notice her more.

Sasuke didn't really mind competition—Naruto was always trying to compete with him in everything else and even though Shikamaru was always getting scolded by _sensei_ for sleeping in class, he was still smart enough to score almost as high as he did in tests—but ever since Sakura showed up, Sasuke found himself working harder just so that he could get more praises than her and he realized that he didn't like it one bit.

He didn't like other things about her, too: like her sparkly, green eyes and her shiny, pink hair, and that stupid red ribbon she always wore as a headband. But most of all, Sasuke hated her laugh. It wasn't that it was a horrible sound; it wasn't nearly as loud or as obnoxious as Ino's or Naruto's. It was actually quite a nice laugh, if he were more honest with himself; it's just that it was also… _annoying_.

It filled his mind when he was supposed to be doing homework and when it was recess and he was talking with his friends, hearing her tinkling laughter would make his head turn even though she was on the other side of the room.

Sasuke didn't like how his head was constantly filled with _her_ and such was his complaint to his ever-reliable _nii-san_.

"Ah, I think you might have a crush on her, _otouto_ ," Itachi told him with a pleasant smile on his face, holding himself back from teasing the innocent child.

The younger Uchiha stared at him for a good second before sputtering in embarrassment, cheeks coloring to rival that of his favorite fruit's.

"I-I don't like her at all! Why would I, _nii-san_? She's so annoying," he vehemently denied.

Itachi merely chuckled at his younger brother, finding it amusing that Sasuke, young as he was, already had a little crush on someone.

Sasuke was about to rebuff some more, but their mother called out for dinner just in time and so he was forced to drop the topic, grumbling under his breath all the way to the dining table.

* * *

The following day, Itachi's words echoed in Sasuke's head as he stared at the back of her head in class.

He still refused to believe what his had brother told him, but he also found it hard to wrap his head around the possibility that the brother he idolized so much could be wrong.

 _No_ , he tried to convince himself while shaking his head. _Nii-san is definitely wrong this time. There's no way I could possibly like her._

Still, he needed a little bit more reassurance and so when classes ended and it was time to go home, he intercepted her just as she stepped out of the school gates.

Luckily, she was alone so he didn't have to worry about anyone listening to what he had to say.

"I don't like you," he promptly declared as soon as she stopped walking and noticed that he was blocking her path.

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction in surprise before she furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Hey, that's not very nice!"

Sasuke was taken aback, stunned that she was admonishing him— _that_ was a first. (Then again, it wasn't like he went around telling his classmates that he didn't like them.)

"Tch. You're annoying," he retorted once he got over his shock. "Itachi-nii is definitely wrong this time. I don't like you at all."

"You just don't like it that _sensei_ also congratulates me when I do a good job in class," she easily countered without missing a beat.

Sasuke didn't have it in him to deny this so he opted to just glare at her instead—but then she stuck out her tongue at him in reply, not scared of him one bit.

Growing flustered at how she was turning out to be more annoying than he had initially thought, Sasuke took a page from Naruto's book and did what the blonde often did when Sasuke ignored his taunts: he challenged her.

"Hn. Betcha you can't score higher than me in the next test." He smirked at her tauntingly, as if daring her to accept.

Sakura stared at him blinkingly and thought about his words for a few brief moments before her eyes closed automatically as her body shook with laughter—the same laughter that always irritated him so much.

Embarrassed and cheeks flushing at her unexpected reaction, Sasuke glowered at her, not quite understanding what she found so funny. This girl had some nerve to laugh at _him_!

He was getting aggravated that she showed no signs of calming down but eventually, she gasped for air as she attempted to control herself. With a final calming breath, Sakura extended one arm out at him accompanied by a wide, friendly grin on her face.

"You're on."

He then hesitantly reached out with his own hand, noticing that for someone who had just been challenged in the way that he did to her, she was looking a lot more cheerful than she ought to be. In fact, it dawned upon him right there and then that this bright, happy smile of hers could probably even be _more_ annoying than her laugh!

Without giving it another thought, they quickly shook on it then went their separate ways afterwards.

On his way home, however, Sasuke couldn't help recalling that smile of hers.

 _Tch, how annoying._

* * *

 **A/N:** Based on my experience with kids (a.k.a. my annoying 7-year-old nephew), I think it's perfectly possible for kids to act like this (?). Or not. I don't really know how to write kids. OTL


	5. 06 - Skin Deep

**Day 06**

 **Prompt:** Skin deep

 **Theme:** Childhood

 **Summary:** "Why are you crying? Those wounds aren't that deep; they're practically just scratches!" (A continuation of yesterday's fic.)

* * *

 **Warning(s):** AU

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was raised by his parents to be a gentleman.

 _You must be polite to everyone, Sasu-chan_ , his mother would always remind him.

 _Treat women with respect,_ his father would tell him, too.

Even his brother joined in occasionally as well. _You must never make a girl cry, otouto. And if you_ do _see a girl crying, whether or not it was your fault, you have to at least try to make her feel better._

Thus, when he noticed a certain pink-haired classmate of his sobbing while hiding (poorly, at that, because he could still clearly hear her sniffles) behind one of the trees that he usually passed on his way home, he felt compelled to do something about it, even though she was his _rival._

Walking up to Sakura, he crouched down to her level and called out to her when it seemed like she didn't notice him.

"Oy."

Startled, she looked up at him with tear-stained eyes, which she hastily tried to cover up by wiping at it but to no avail.

"W-what are _you_ doing here?" she asked disdainfully, though her runny nose didn't really do anything to make her as threatening as she wanted.

"Tch. You were sniveling so loud, I could hear you from a mile away."

He inwardly cringed at his words; if his mother had heard what he'd just said, he was bound to have gotten an earful.

"Well, I _apologize_ for my loud sniveling, but you didn't have to come over and check up on me, you know." She teased him amidst her sniffles, already showing traces of her usual self even though she'd just been bawling her eyes out moments ago.

"Wh-who said I was checking up on you?" He was bent on denying her accusation, but he couldn't think of any excuse for why he had come up to her so he just offered her his handkerchief and left it at that.

Upon seeing the boy in front of her flustered, Sakura couldn't help the giggle that left her lips.

To her, Uchiha Sasuke was a strange classmate: he was often challenging her to see who could score higher in their tests and exams after he'd all but declared that he didn't like her last year; nevertheless, despite his so-called "dislike" for her, she had found him staring at her quite a number of times and, to her surprise, even doing nice things for her like lending an eraser or a pencil— _nice things_ , just like what he was doing then. That he always got embarrassed when she'd point out that he was being nice to her only made her more interested in him.

In fact, if Ino-chan was right, then she probably had an actual crush on him!

(Not that she was planning on telling him, though, because he'd most likely just tell her that he didn't like her again.)

"So… uh… why _were_ you crying?" he shyly asked after she accepted his gesture and patted her tears away.

"Oh. Um… i-it's nothing," she stammered as she shifted her position awkwardly, but Sasuke was fast enough to get a glimpse of the knee that she was attempting to hide so he stopped her movements and discovered the scrapes marring her skin.

He frowned when he suddenly remembered passing by a few snickering classmates on his way there and wondered briefly if they had anything to do with it. Sasuke didn't ask her, though, because he was already half-sure that they did.

His lack of response plus his glare on her wounded knee sent tears welling up in her eyes again and before Sakura could help it, she sniffled and this immediately snapped Sasuke out of his musings.

"Why are you crying? Those wounds aren't that deep; they're practically just scratches!" he told her in a futile attempt to comfort her. But when he noticed that her sobs did not quiet down one bit, he promptly bent his head to her knee and placed a gentle kiss on the skin right beside the wound.

Then, feeling pleased at his accomplishment of getting the girl to stop crying (but only to openly gape at him with reddened cheeks), he nodded proudly to himself and innocently declared, "There! All better now!"

Sakura was still too stunned to speak so Sasuke took the liberty of explaining himself. "Nii-san always does that when I scratch my knee, and it always makes me feel better!" He grinned good-naturedly—it was the first time a grin that wasn't smug or challenging was directed at her—and she couldn't help her own smile that stretched across her face.

Sasuke involuntarily flushed when a traitorous voice in his mind had the gall to point out that her smile was really pretty and that he liked seeing that smile on her face. _Th-that's not true at all!_

This was supposed to be his _rival_ —he shouldn't be calling her pretty and making her smile! Still— he offered her his hand after he stood up, dusting off imaginary filth from his pants while he did everything to avoid her gaze. She accepted his outstretched arm and slowly rose, wincing briefly as the skin around her wound stretched, but she put the smile back in place when she turned to him.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn, whatever. Otou-san always says that wounds are just skin-deep; you shouldn't be crying over them. The next time you cry, it should be because I beat you in a test!" The last part was uttered pompously, but Sakura could tell that it was his way of giving her strength in an odd, roundabout manner.

Sakura laughed heartily at how this silly classmate of hers _still_ couldn't let their one-sided rivalry go, but she humored him anyway.

"We'll see about that!"

Right then and there, Sakura didn't mind anymore that some of the girls in class had pushed her because she was supposedly trying to steal Sasuke's position as the top student in class—as long as Sasuke noticed her and thought of her as good enough to be his rival in terms of academics, Sakura found that she didn't mind it at all.


	6. 10 - Haircut

**Day 10**

 **Prompt:** Haircut

 **Theme:** Childhood

 **Summary:** Sakura's mom forces her to get the hair that she'd been growing out for Sasuke-kun cut and Sakura thinks she looks ugly. Sasuke, though, thinks otherwise.

* * *

 **Warning(s):** AU

* * *

"Sakura-chan, I think it's time for a haircut."

It was Saturday and seven-year-old Sakura was seated at the dining table when her mother made the announcement, causing her to stop in the middle of eating breakfast, mouth hanging open and hand halfway between her mouth and her bowl of cereal.

Sakura blinked and stared at her mother, lowering her hand in the process, before shaking her head slowly. "No, thank you," she said in the most pleasant tone she could manage despite her inner panic.

The little girl, smart as she was, realized a long time ago that being polite, as opposed to throwing a tantrum, often got her out of trouble or doing things she didn't want to do—and that was _exactly_ the tactic she was employing that moment.

"But dear, your hair's so long already! Don't you feel hot at all?"

Well, she tried.

Said child merely looked away from her mother's knowing eyes. It was currently summer in Konoha and the village was known for its stifling temperatures around this season so _yes,_ she felt hot, but she didn't want her mother to know that.

"And it's getting so unruly, too. I know you hate tying your hair, dear, but letting it down causes your hair to fly all over the place—especially when you're out playing with your friends."

"But mom! I _can't_ cut my hair!" she whined, all attempts in diplomacy thrown right out the window.

"And why not?" the woman asked with genuine curiosity.

"Because Sas—" Sakura started to say but stopped herself and covered her mouth before she could utter anything more.

Mebuki merely raised an eyebrow at her daughter and waited for her to continue. Oh, how she'd _love_ to hear her daughter's reason behind refusing a haircut—kids' logic was just so adorably funny, after all!

However, Sakura only remained quiet and shook her head frantically, not wanting to let her mother know that the reason she didn't want to get a haircut was because of a _boy._

But it wasn't just _any_ boy, though. The reason Sakura didn't want to get a haircut was because Uchiha Sasuke, her neighbor, close friend, and _c-cru-c-crush_ (it still made the poor girl embarrassed to admit to it) was rumored to like girls with long hair—not that Sasuke ever mentioned anything to her, but their conversation topics often revolved around cartoons and how cool Itachi-nii-san is and whose mom makes the best PB &J sandwich so she wouldn't really know anything about its validity.

It dawned upon Mebuki after a few more moments of defiant silence that Sakura had no intentions of continuing her statement, so the Haruno matriarch was left with no choice but to bribe her darling daughter with pizza, to which said daughter excitedly agreed to, only to end up regretting it the instance she saw how short her hair was cut.

To Mebuki, Sakura looked absolutely cute (biases aside) with her new shoulder-length hairdo, but the poor girl kept bawling and calling herself ugly even when everybody at the salon assured her that she looked pretty. Not even pizza afterwards made Sakura change her mind about her appearance, albeit it did calm her down plenty.

The following day, Sasuke went over to the Haruno household to play as usual. When he got there, however, he found a rather unusual sight in his friend nervously fidgeting with the too-big baseball cap she was wearing. At first he made no mention of it, but when it became clear to him that Sakura wasn't running or moving around as fast like she used to because she was afraid that the cap would fly off, he decided to ask her about it.

"Mom made me get a haircut," she explained with a miserable pout.

"So?"

"I look ugly!"

Sasuke tilted his head to one side and stared at her intently. "You look the same to me."

"That's because you haven't seen my hair yet, Sasuke-kun!"

He shrugged at her casually. "It can't be that bad. Let me see!" Sasuke then eagerly reached out to take the cap off her, but Sakura was quick to block his arm.

"No!" she practically screamed as she started to run away from him.

"Eh? Why not? You're being annoying!" he thusly called out while chasing her around her backyard.

Sakura ran and ran as fast as she could, knowing that Sasuke was a way better runner—but so caught up was she in avoiding him that as the wind whooshed past her, the cap that she was wearing eventually got blown off.

Sasuke abruptly stopped running when she did, only to stare at her while she hastily tried to cover her hair. Tears were already starting to well up in her eyes before she turned away from him with a huff.

"You don't look ugly," he simply told her before he even got the chance to think about his words. (He meant what he said, though.)

At this, Sakura warily turned back to him with a sniffle. "R-really, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke nodded in affirmation. "Yeah! In fact…"

He took a step forward and gave her a once-over with a hand on his chin for added effect.

"You look prettier this way!" he continued with a cheeky grin.

A full-on blush erupted on the little girl's cheeks at having been called pretty by the boy she liked and she promptly lifted her arms to wipe away her snot and tears.

"You… But I thought you liked girls with long hair better?" she shyly inquired.

"Huh? I never said that." he replied sincerely.

Relief immediately flooded through Sakura at his denial of the silly rumor. She then gave him a wide smile, feeling much better about her short hair now. Seeing that Sakura was back to her old self again, Sasuke gave her an earnest grin of his own, pleased that he was able to make the girl that he liked happy once more.


	7. 23 - Plural

**Day 23**

 **Prompt:** Plural

 **Theme:** Adulthood/Married life

 **Summary:** "Gifts? As in plural?" "Yes, _gifts_. We worked really hard to prepare them just for you."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Sorry for the lack of updates. T_T I meant to write more fics to submit on time for SS Month but _life_. I still plan on completing all the prompts, though; I just don't know when. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit down right now so I didn't feel like posting this at first, but I wanted to cheer up since it's a special day today: Happy birthday to my first ever _Naruto_ crush, Sasuke-kuuuuuuuun~ :3

 **Warning(s):** Eh. Kinda short.

* * *

Sasuke awoke that morning to the feeling of Sakura pressing fluttering kisses along his back, humming the tune of a song that he was half-dreading and half-expecting considering what day it was—though he had to admit that hearing it specifically from _her_ , slightly off-tune as she was, made it a lot more bearable and even pleasant in his ears. When she finally ended the song with a drawn-out note, she nudged his shoulder with her nose to rouse him further and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun," she chirped a little too merrily.

Knowing that he had no choice but to get up, however, Sasuke shifted and let out a groan before turning on his back to let his wife drape herself lazily on top of him.

She pressed more kisses to his face—his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, his lips—and he wordlessly reveled in the feeling of waking up to her warm lips.

"Time to get up, birthday boy," she then reminded him teasingly, to which he only replied with a scoff.

"Sakura," he began. "You know—"

But she cut him off before he could say another word. "I know you don't like celebrating your birthday, Sasuke-kun. But _please?_ Just this once?" she pleaded, giving him the best puppy dog pout she could muster.

He stared at her warily and sighed. "That's what you said last year as well."

She blinked at him as she recalled that particular memory and gave out a hearty laugh.

"So I did. But this year is different," she assured.

"Hn. How so?" He was suspicious of her, but he humored her anyway.

"This year, I have a whole bunch of gifts prepared for you!" she eagerly exclaimed, as if it were supposed to entice him into being more jovial about the occasion.

"Gifts? As in plural?" He was almost scared of what she could have planned; knowing Sakura, she probably went all out in planning something elaborate and unnecessary when he was already satisfied with just spending time with her.

"Yes, _gifts_. We worked really hard to prepare them just for you!"

He almost gulped in nervousness but stopped himself lest he hurt her feelings with his lack of enthusiasm. "Who's 'we'?" Dear kami, he certainly hoped Naruto took no part in all this.

She gave him a meaningful look and moved to sit up beside him on their bed.

"Ah, that's your first gift," she calmly told him as she took his hand in her dainty ones and guided it towards her still-flat abdomen, pressing gently against it.

" _We_ ," she clarified while holding his gaze. "As in plural."

Sasuke could only gape at her, his mind struggling to comprehend her words. She's— He's going to be—

"You're going to be a father, Sasuke-kun!" she all but beamed up at him, finishing his thoughts.

When her words finally sunk in, Sasuke pulled her towards him and engulfed her in a tight embrace. He clutched at her shoulders as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, unable to hold back his emotions.

"Sakura…"

His voice trembled a bit, but he was trying not to let his tears fall.

" _Thank you_."


	8. 29 - Superheroes (1)

**Day 29**

 **Prompt:** Superheroes

 **Theme:** —Erm, I didn't really follow the theme today, sorry. Ehe.

 **Summary:** I watch superman fly away / Come back, I'll be with you someday / I'll be right here on the ground / When you come back down (Inspired by 'Superman' by Taylor Swift)

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Probably my favorite among all the ideas that I came up with for SS Month, but this was admittedly difficult to write since I was trying to make the dialogue not seem forced just so that I could conform with the song lyrics but at the same time not turn it into an annoying songfic as well. Haha! But I just love this song so much and it just screams SasuSaku to me in so many ways. If you haven't heard the song yet, I suggest you give it a shot and take note where I placed the lyrics within this fic. :)

 **Warning(s):** Slight spoilers for chapter 699 onwards, including Gaiden. May also come off as cheesy, but hey, it's a Taylor Swift song.

* * *

They are barely even adults by age yet when he declares that he would be leaving the village again in search of redemption and answers.

This does not completely surprise her, for she has known all along that Sasuke still has a lot on his mind that could not be resolved by staying in Konoha, but it does not stop the feeling of dread that wells up in her stomach when she sees him at the village gates the day he is set to leave.

As Sakura stands there quietly, she watches him: this man she has loved from the first day she met him, as he converses with their former sensei over things that may or may not be important and she wishes for one brief moment of paranoia that he doesn't end up meeting another girl while he's away.

She is quick to berate herself for thinking of such frivolous things at such an important moment, though, and promptly turns her attention back to him. Sakura, for all of her and Naruto's efforts into making him feel at home in Konoha again, makes one final, half-hearted attempt at getting him to stay, but she only receives the same response he gave her the first time he explained his reason for this journey.

"My sins have nothing to do with you," he then tells her when she asks if he could take her with him, but she supposes she should have expected that.

At first she feels dejected at yet another rejection from Sasuke—but then he steps closer to her and taps her forehead affectionately, the corner of his lips tilted upwards just a bit, and she cannot help the hope that blossoms from within her. A blush forms on her cheeks and she feels a tingly sensation from where his finger touched her forehead.

"I'll see you when I'm back."

 _And I'll be right here when you come back,_ she silently promises him as she watches him go.

.

.

.

They keep contact as often as they can, as often as his whereabouts and his current situation allow him to—which actually isn't much, but at least it's something.

He has been gone for a little over a year now and in that time, Sakura has amassed her fair share of admirers who often shower her with gifts— yet with every flower, card, and call she receives, she could only hope that they were from _him_ instead.

She knows, however, that he is well worth the wait. Despite the distance between them, Sakura has remained unwavering in her refusal to let him go even with the numerous offers she regularly receives from other men.

Which is why when he informs her, via handwritten letter attached to one of his avian summons as opposed to the more convenient means of text messaging, that he is on his way back to Konoha for a brief visit, she is over the moon.

It is the middle of the day and Sakura is just about to head out to the village gates to meet him there, feeling particularly uplifted and lovestruck and giddy as she takes a moment to look out the window and watch the birds fly away against the clear blue sky.

 _I wonder if he knows how much I've missed him_ , she muses, before a knock interrupts her thoughts. She gets up excitedly to answer the door, already knowing from the familiar chakra signature who it is on the other side. She pauses first to take a deep, calming breath but when she opens it, she is rendered breathless once more when she sees him standing there: tall, dark, and beautiful as always.

He gives her a small smile and casually asks, "How are you?"

She breathlessly replies with a "Just fine" as she takes in the fact that he is _there_ and it feels like she is on cloud nine _._

"I have to stop by the Hokage Tower for a bit," he informs her but she understands that it is an invitation to go with him so she puts on her shoes and steps out of her apartment as they walk down the streets of Konoha side by side.

.

.

.

The news of Sasuke leaving again did not sit well with the other villagers when they found out, permitted as he was by the Hokage himself. Despite all his efforts in helping out in the village immediately after the war, the non-shinobi faction of Konoha remained wary at best around the last Uchiha. Therefore, seeing him together with someone as well-respected and well-loved as Sakura earns them a few indignant looks coupled with some harshly whispered criticisms that the both of them know are meant for him to hear.

"They're right, you know." His eyes remain forward but he is watching her from his peripheral vision.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I can't hear a single word they're saying."

"I still don't see a reason why you or Naruto hang on to me."

She falters a bit at his words but gathers her bearings swiftly. "You're just… complicated. And irrational, too, I guess," she says hesitantly before the look she gives him softens. "But you're not at all bad like your reputation, Sasuke-kun."

"And how do you know that?" he challenges.

"There's something in your eyes that tells me so," she explains with a shrug.

He pauses and is a bit stunned by her bold statement so he does nothing but shake his head at her.

"I will be leaving again in a few days," he then states carefully while watching his companion for her reaction.

"So you've got a few places to be. I'll be okay, Sasuke-kun." But as an afterthought she added with a cheeky grin, "Though I still hope you'd take me with you someday."

He remains silent but mulls this over and thinks about his destination for the next couple of months.

"Then… come with me."

Her face lights up and she agrees wholeheartedly without giving it a second thought.

.

.

.

They are adults now, years of travelling together behind them as they—Sasuke, Sakura, and their daughter, Sarada—finally settle down as a family when he has to leave again, this time to protect the people that he loves the most.

Sarada is already tucked in and asleep in the room next door but that peacefulness does not extend to their own bedroom where the tension is high with words that remain unspoken. He stares at her longingly, stricken with guilt that he's kept what he knew about Kaguya a secret from her until then.

"Sakura, I'm… sorry. For having to leave again like this. I—"

She shakes her head and tells him she understands, though she does not hide the sad smile on her face when she tells him this.

Sasuke thinks that there ought to be more bite in the way she speaks with him, yet he finds none in the gentle tone of her voice. "Go… save the world, Sasuke-kun."

She is not sarcastic when she says this, either; rather, she means it. She knows that he is not doing this because he wants to leave; he is doing this for the village's sake… for her sake… for their child's sake. He accepted—practically offered himself—to do this mission knowing what he will be giving up and she will never resent him for that.

He dismisses her words with a scoff, although he knows that it is not the proper reaction given the situation. "I'm not really saving the world, Sakura. I'm just doing my job."

"It's the same thing to me."

Sasuke merely regards her warily, looking for any traces of bitterness or anger and still finding none, before he draws her closer to him and embraces her tightly.

"Go save the world, Sasuke-kun," she repeats, inhaling his scent that wraps around her like a warm blanket. "I'll be around."

He kisses her forehead, knowing that there are no other words that need to be said.

She will watch him fly away again, but she will be right there on the ground when he comes back down.

* * *

 **A/N:** The idea sounded way better in my head. OTL Also, I tried my hand at writing with a different style. And… yeah. I'll just be sticking with my usual one from now on. xD


	9. 29 - Superheroes (2)

**Day 29**

 **Prompt:** Superheroes

 **Theme:** AU [in the sense that it's set in an alternate world where Sasuke returns after killing Orochimaru and Itachi and gets reinstated as a Konoha ninja without much of the drama that actually went down in the manga. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about— don't lie; I know you've thought of that setting at least once. (Haha, jk.)]

 **Summary:** You're _my_ superhero.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I liked the concept of the previous fic more, but I think (no, I _know_ ) this one's written way better. So here— have them both. Consider this a gift because I really wasn't satisfied with how the previous fic turned out. xD

 **Warning(s):** Naruto-verse, but non-compliant with the manga. Also, plenty of eye smex. Because that's what our SasuSaku babies do best.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, this is the fifth time this month that I'm healing you for injuries that are far more than just the "cuts and scrapes" you initially complain about when you come into the hospital."

Sakura berates her teammate—half-angry, half-worried—as she stands at the foot of his hospital bed, hands poised at her hips. Across from her, Sasuke merely stares at her bemusedly while he sits up on the bed, a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Sasuke-kun! Look at you right now—you're all covered in bandages!" she exclaims while gesturing wildly to his body, although Sasuke thinks she is exaggerating and he has no qualms in telling her so. While his torso and his left upper extremity, which is supported by a sling due to a fracture, are wrapped up in rolls and rolls of bandages, his right arm and everything from the neck up have remained miraculously blemish-free save for a few nicks here and there; moreover, aside from the sprained ankle on his left leg, everything underneath the covers are free from any bindings as well.

Despite this, the expression on her face morphs into one that shows more concern than anger and she watches him sadly.

"But what if… what if your next enemy does more than _this_? What if your next enemy inflicts more damage than you can handle? What if you don't make it back to Konoha next time, Sasuke-kun? I—I don't know what I'd do if that were to happen…"

"It won't," he guarantees, so sure of himself.

"You don't know that!" Her hands are balled into fists at her sides and she does everything in her willpower to stop them from shaking.

Sasuke does nothing but stare at her outburst, eyebrows drawn together in mild irritation—but not because he does not like that she is worried for him; rather, because he wishes she had more faith in him and his abilities.

He could notice tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, but Sakura wills them not to fall.

"Quit trying to act like a superhero, Sasuke-kun. Your body can only handle so much. _I_ can only handle so much." Her voice cracks as she tells him this, but the steely look in her eyes does not falter.

He holds her gaze for a few more moments before he closes his eyes with a weary sigh. "I am aware of that. I'm not trying to play superhero, Sakura. You know that's not the case."

Then he looks back up at her with his usual stoic mask in place, but there is a softness in his eyes which has only ever been reserved for Sakura that manages to slip through.

Sakura regards him silently before she, too, lets out a tired breath, shoulders slumping now that all the fight has left her.

"I just wish you'd take better care of yourself, Sasuke-kun," she says softly.

A brief pause passes, and then he calls out to her rather calmly. "Come here."

Sakura takes a few reluctant steps forward until she is standing to the right of his bed. Gingerly, he reaches out with his only available hand to grasp one of hers and strokes the back of it in a soothing manner.

This, coupled with the silence that envelops them as she waits for him to say something more, hypnotizes her until all she can focus on is him and her in that hospital room. She doesn't notice that his thumb has stopped moving to lift her hand until he presses his lips tenderly upon her knuckles.

This is enough to snap her out of her daze, but before she can even react, he tugs her down to his level to place another kiss on her forehead, and then traces his lips downward over her nose and to her mouth while his hand cups her cheek.

Her eyes flutter to a shut as their lips connect in a delicate kiss and she knows it is his way of apologizing for making her worry. She shifts so that she is more comfortable in her position and promptly deepens their contact in a way that leaves them breathless when they part moments later.

She leans into the hand that remains on her cheek as she tries to catch her breath, a small smile now gracing her features.

"Sakura," he quietly calls out to her, to which she opens her eyes to let him know that she's listening.

"Thank you."

"Hm? For what, Sasuke-kun?" The smile does not leave her face, but she stares at him curiously.

Though his voice is soft he responds straightforwardly and sincerely.

"For always saving me. For being _my_ superhero."

* * *

 **A/N:** Was this too cheesy? Lol. Idk anymore. I also tried to make a better kiss scene but… hahaha. *Googles: how to write kiss scenes*


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